Bottle crate construction



Jam@ 1%, 1936 E. M. PENNOCK ET AL.

BOTTLE CRATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 11, 1931 Zkhumdafl. Pmmop [401 0#925 in one side is so shaped as to Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CRATE CONSTRUCTION Company, Minnesota Minneapolis,Minn., a corporation of Application December 11, 1931, Serial No.580,337

5 Claims.

Our invention relates to an improvement in bottle} crate constructionand is concerned primarily with that typeof crate known as a certifiedmilk case. Such cases are used to contain bottles of certified milk orother milk of particularly high grade during the transportation of thesame. Cases for certified milk differ from ordinary" milk crates in thatthe cases are usually entirely enclosed to prevent dust and dirt fromentering the container and to] positively separate this high grade milkfrom the ordinary milk carried in crates. Certified milk cases areordinarily of suitable construction. to permit the milk carried thereinto be iced. during transit. This insures the customer of the highestgrade milk obtainable in the very best of condition.

Crates of this type must be very sturdy and it is desirable to provideas strong a structure as" is. p ssible.

. novel: type of corner reinforcement structure for suchcases; which isinexpensively manufactured, which isverysturdy, and which is easy toassemble with the case. This corner structure comprises a U-shapedreinforcing member adapted to encase two vertical corners and onetransverse comer between the vertical corners. One of thesereinforcingmembers is positioned at each end of. the case. Accordingly,when the case is inassembled form, each of the corners formed by thejuncture of the side walls of the case are covered and reinforced andthe bottom corner formed by the juncture ofthe end walls and the bottomof the case is protected. The corners are in this. way effectivelyreinforced and wellprotected.

It is a feature of our invention that each unitary reinforcing member,which extends down one corner along the bottom and up the other adjacentcorner, covers three corners of the case.

: Accordingly, these corners are not only separately reinforced by the.connection of the slat members building, up corner reinforcing member,but. also the corners atieachend of the case are. jointed unitarily onewith another. to reinforce the entire. end of the case and hold the samein shape. Accordingly, our certified'milk case cannot become deformed orout of shape asreadilyas cases provided with a separate reinforcingmember along each corner.

It is an object of our invention to form each reinforcing member fromone single piece of material. One side of the angle member forming thereinforcement is notched while the other side is bent up at rightangles. The notch formed permit the edges Accordingly, we have deviseda.

the side walls of the case with each.

thereof to overlap somewhat when the reinforcing is bent at right anglesand these overlapping edges are connected rigidly together by rivetingor any other suitable means. Accordingly, the U-shaped reinforcingmember is firmly and rigidly held in shape and will stand considerableabuse, without materially affecting the same.

It is a feature of our construction that inturned flange edges areformed on the angle members reinforcing the vertical corner Theseinturned flanges fit in grooves formed in the side walls of the crateand in assembly the reinforcing members must be slid into place from thebottom end and riveted into this position. As the side walls of the caseare connected together with a tongue and groove connection, or othersimilar rigid joints, the resultant crate is extremely sturdy in natureand will withstand serious abuse. As the reinforcing for the lowertransverse corners extends somewhat below the bottom of the case, thecase will at all times rest upon this reinforcing and the bottom of thecase will in this way be protected.

Other objects and novel features of our invention will be more fully andclearly set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective milk case fully assembled.

Figure 2 is a detailed view of one of the U- shaped end reinforcingmembers.

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of a bottom corner of ourcertified case, a portion of which is broken away to illustrate theconstruction.

Figure 4 is a view similar to: that shown in Figure 3, illustrating aslightly different type of construction.

Our certified milk case A is provided with front and rear walls [0 andend. walls I I. These walls l0 and H are built up of a series ofsuperimposed slats 12 in usual construction, as illustrated in Figure lof the drawing. A bottom view of our certified member I3 forms theflooring of the case A and a top I 4 is hinged to the rear walls 19. Ahandle member I5 is provided by means of which the case A may be handledand a locking latch "5 holds the cover I 4 in closed position whendesired.

The reinforcing member B is formed of an angle member having inturnedflanges formed longitudinally along the edges thereof. These flanges I!extend only along that portion of the reinforcement which is adapted toprotect the vertical corners of the crate. In the formation ofthereinforcing members B, the angle member 18 from which the member B isformed, is notched through one side of the angle member l8 and atriangular piece of this side is removed, the apex of which lies adistance from theend of the reinforcing member equal to the height ofthe case A. A similar notch is made in thesame'side member at a distancefrom the first notch equal to the thickness of the'box or to the lengthof the end wall Ii. The otherwall 2b is then bent at right anglesadjacent the apex of the notch, in

the manner illustrated in Figure 2 of'the' draw-1 ing. The notch is soformed. that the edges overlap somewhat when bent up at right angles.The overlapping edges are then secured together by riveting or any othersuitablemanner.

The reinforcing member B is thus formed'and comprises a U-shaped memberadapted to en'- circle the vertical corners and the juncture-between theend wall and the bottom member. This reinforcing member B is put intoplace by sliding the flanges i? into grooves 22 extending verticalFigures 3 and 4 illustrate two different methods a of connecting thefront, rear and end wallstogether and connecting these walls to'thebottom member it. Figure tends into a groove 2%: formed in theconnecting slat E2. The bottom member lt'is also provided withaperipheral flange?! extending thereabo'ut which is adapted to fit intoa groove 28 formed for thepurpose. Figure 4 illustrates the entire endof one slat i2 fitting into a groove on the ad- The base it in thismodification jacent slat l2. is grooved to accommodate the edge of thebottomslatiZ.

We have found certified case A, and to be 'extrernelysturdy and able towithstand wear'and abuse. The overlapping edges of the sides idof theangle'members i8 act to hold the portions of the reinforcing memberwhich actto reinforcethe vertical corners,,in proper alignment and at aproper angle with the portionof the reinforcement adapted to reinforcethe transverse bottom corner.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principlesof construction of our bottle crate A and the reinforcing members therefor, and while we have endeavored to set forth the'best embodimentthereof ,we desire 'to have it understood that this is only illustrativeof a means of carrying out our invention and that obvious changes may bemade within the scope of the following claims without departingffrom thespirit of the invention.

'We claim:

' 1". A bottle crate including, side portions, verti- 3 illustrates atongue and groove connection in which the tongue 25 exour reinforcingmember B to be easily manufactured, simply to apply to the I callyextending grooves therein adjacent said corners, an'outer angle ironcorner portion and bottom rail open at the top formed of a single inangle iron piece, vertical flanges on said corner portion engageable insaid grooves, oneleg of the angle iron being split at each corner andoverlapped, holes formed in said overlapped portions, and rivet membersextending through said holes to rivet said overlapped portions at thecorners of the split leg of said angle iron corner member 10, said opentop permitting the corner portion to be slid into position.

. 2. A reinforcing corner and rail for crates in combination with acrate body having vertically extending grooves therein adjacent thecorners thereof including, an angle iron member havingeutwardlyextendingleg portions, one of said leg portions extending downthe 'front along the hot 7 a to n'and up the back of said crate,remaining open at the top, the other of said leg portions extending downthe corner of the end at the front, a

split and overlapped portionformed at the lower corner, a rivet forholding said split overlapped; porticn tc'gethena portion extendingalong the bottom end corner, a split at the back corner and- 2 anoverlapped portion anda rivet for holding said overlapped split portiontogether, ands; 7 portion extending up the corner of the back,

flanges on saidupwardly and downwardly extending portion toengage insaid grooves, and rivets 3 through each of thelegsof said angle iron cor7 ner member to securely fasten the same to the sides of the side andend walls of the crate.

A crate'structure including, sides-,ends, and.

bottom'portions formed of non-'metallic material,

vertically extending grooves in said sides and ends adjacent thevertical corners, a corner'angle reinforcin portion formed by bendingan. angle iron member to substantially U -shape having two substantiallyparallelsidesafte'r splitting one leg 14 0 7 of theangleiron'me'mberatthe bottom corners of the-crate, said parallel sidesactingtolongif tudinally siidably engage the crate, rivets for securingthe split; overlapped corners together,

flanges on said parallel sides 'slidable in said' groovesand rivets forsecuring the angle iron 7 member along the corners of thesides,endsandbottom portions of saidcrate, to provide a strong reinforcing forthe corners thereof and a bottom rail along the bottom thereof. f

4. A crate comprising, side walls, end walls, a bottom wall, a meansforreinforcing the corners between one end wall and the adjacent sideandbottom'walls including, a U-shaped angle member, flanges on thevertical members of said angle. 5

member and slots'in said jsideand end Walls to' longitudinally slidablyengage flanges on said reinforcing means.

5;.A crateincluding, side, end, and bottom walls;:a meansfor reinforcingthree connecting corners including, a substantially U-shapedangle memberadapted to enclose said connecting; Q01? 'ners; flanges on said anglemember, andslots 'ad-,

jacent parallel enclosed corners for engagement" with said flanges toslidably secure saidreinforc ing members in place. 1 f r EDWIN M.PENNOCK. LLOYD HALE. a

